Canadians in their golden years should consider themselves lucky as Canada is the fifth-best country in which to grow old in, according to a new United Nations-backed study.

Sweden topped the list of 91 countries in the Global AgeWatch Index, released Tuesday, followed by Norway, Germany and the Netherlands.

Canada, thanks to our universal health care system, old age pension program and a relatively long life expectancy, ranked a healthy number 5 on the index compiled by HelpAge International, an advocacy group for older people.

It’s not surprising that Canada ranked so high, but Canadians don’t often recognize how good we have it here, said John Hirdes, a professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health and Health Systems.

“We spend a lot of time talking about the failings of the health system,” he said. “But in many ways, our system does do relatively well and is regarded as one of the systems that’s doing innovative things in the world.”

The index, which used information from international agencies such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the United Nations, is the first to measure the quality of life and well-being of older people around the world, HelpAge says.

It is a crucial indicator to watch as the world rapidly ages. By 2050, the number of people over the age of 60 globally will outnumber children under age 15, HelpAge says.

In Canada, roughly 5.2 million people, or 14.9% of the Canadian population, was 65 years of age or older in 2012, according to Statistics Canada. That figure is poised to double in the next 25 years, HelpAge says.

Not surprisingly, affluent countries such as Switzerland, the U.S and Japan were among the top 10 on the list. The worst country for people in their ripe old age was Afghanistan in 91st place. There, the life expectancy past age 60 was just another 16 years, compared to Canada where most people live an extra 25 years, according to the index.

Canadians can also expect to live in good health for an average of 18.3 years beyond the age of 60, compared to 18.2 years in Sweden.

“It is the universal nature of the coverage of health care and doctors’ services,” said Jane Scobie, HelpAge’s director of advocacy, based in London. “You’ve got a retirement income system that aims to reduce incidents of low income in older age. It’s well-planned policy.”

Still, Canada did poorest on income security, where it ranked 26th. Although 78% of Canadians over the age of 65 receive a pension, European countries such as Sweden offer pension coverage more widely and at an earlier age, the index showed.

Employment prospects and education levels among the elderly is another area where Canada did well, ranking 9th overall. For example, 58.3% of Canada’s population between the ages of 55 and 64 were gainfully employed. This is key because people in this age group — who are not yet old enough to receive government support — are particularly vulnerable, said Mr. Hirdes.

“Having an income source before age 65 is really important to be able to afford the things they want to do,” he said. “When people can’t afford food, shelter or clothing, it’s the under 65 group that are at the greatest risk.”

Although Canada can boast of a relatively healthy population, growing obesity rates are a looming threat, said Mr. Hirdes.

“If we don’t manage to control obesity in the population, 10 to 20 years from now we may see some negative impact of that on both healthy life expectancy and expected years to live,” he said.